MEBANE — Since 2005, the population of antique shops on Clay Street has gone from zero to five or so, and their owners would like to see that number increase. Antiques are not like most other businesses. Sellers don’t see other stores so much as competition as more of a draw.

"One store kind of feeds another, so it’s the kind of place where people come for an afternoon and shop all day," said Florian Golnik, who works at Aunt Janie’s Pottery & Antiques in the old library at the corner of Clay and Fourth streets.  "Each shop will have something that makes it different. We have a lot of pottery."

Clay Street is off the main drag downtown, but has done better than main artery Center Street as far as attracting new businesses and keeping them.

Still, businesses there do better as destinations. The street does not get a lot of casual passers-by who decide to stop and shop. Antiques have a devoted following. Antique shops also seem to be one of the safer businesses to try on Clay Street.

"It seems many other little stores that open kind of struggle," said Lacy Bennett, owner of the Elegant Relic at 120 W. Clay St. "The antique stores are doing well." Bennett’s store has only been on Clay Street for a couple years, but has been downtown for much longer.

There are successful restaurants, bars and even hair dressers on Clay Street, but there has been a lot of turnover too.

There are a couple of empty buildings on Clay Street now and the antique dealers are hoping they add to the critical mass of old furniture and collectibles.

Barbara and Carl Guttman own one of the best of those. They bought the 13,400-square-foot building at the corner of Clay and Third streets. It was built as a Chevrolet dealership and known since 1994 as Food Deals.

"The antique dealers want to turn Mebane into an antique mecca; others say there’s enough," said Barbara Guttman. "It will be interesting to see who comes around."

The Guttmans have a lot invested in this. The building cost them $300,000 and they are putting another $15,000 into restoring it. Guttman said she is willing to leave the space open if that’s what the leaser wants, or break it up into four spaces with entrances onto Clay Street.

The Guttmans are not antique people. But they did restore another building on Clay Street for their son Adam. He ended up leasing it to Brick Alley Antiques, probably the first antique store on Clay Street.

It seems like a good time for Mebane to get into the antique business. Daniel Boone Village in Hillsborough, the home of a healthy number of antique shops and antique malls, is in its last days. The American Asset Corp. of Charlotte has plans to develop it as a large strip mall and housing development.

Bennett said Clay Street might not be ready to fill that niche. Much of Daniel Boone Village is antique malls, or large spaces where sellers can rent booths and sell part time. Clay Street, at least so far, doesn’t offer that kind of casual outlet.

Bennett said she would love to see the Guttmans’ building become an antique mall, but someone would have to sign a lease to make that happen.

Joy Albright owns Clay Street Printing, one of the longest-lasting businesses on the street. She owns another building across Clay Street too. It is now vacant. Albright said she has no problem with antiques if they keep downtown vital. "However, I want my little building there to become a restaurant," Albright said.


Reprinted from Antique Week's "Travel Guide to Antique Shops & Malls 2007" (Eastern Division---Maine to Florida)

Brick Alley Antiques prospering along with Mebane

Mebane, N.C. -- Brick Alley Antiques is the first full-service antique shop to open in Downtown Mebane in recent years. Since mid-2005, this small town of 8,100 has experienced a surge in the growth of small businesses.

Conveniently located between the Triangle and Triad areas of central North Carolina, Downtown Mebane is now a day tripping destination for shoppers. The central business area boasts of a variety of antique shops and gift boutiques, an art gallery, upscale wine and cheese market, photography studio, unique restaurants, and a luxury pet resort. More downtown historic buildings are slated for renovation and the growth of small businesses is expected to continue.

The upbeat retail atmosphere in Downtown Mebane has allowed Brick Alley Antiques to expand its business to two side-by-side locations on Clay Street. Shoppers can browse 2,500 sq. ft. of classic antiques and collectibles, as well as unique estate consignments. Brick Alley Antiques also offers estate tag sale and liquidation services to area residents.


Reprinted from the Times-News, Burlington, NC
(Progress Edition, February 2007)

A taste of hometown

By Erin Mahn, Elon Journalism Department

More than a century ago, Mebane was the place to go for dining, shopping and date night. Now the old social center is reinventing itself.

Located next to the railroad, Mebane traces its beginnings to the early 19th century when a post office was established. By the late 19th century, Mebane's industrial growth began with the establishment of the White Furniture Company, Kingsdown and MebTel Communications.

Among all the changes and growths, Clay Street has always been at the heart of Mebane. Historically referred to as Back Street, it has been the home of retail and service businesses for years, but not until recently has Clay Street reemerged as the place to be.

Clay Street Printing was established in 1984 and is one of the oldest businesses on the street. Owner Joy Albright has seen the street change as businesses come and go. People retire and new people come," Albright said. "Mebane grows with enthusiasm with the new business owners."

While the business owners are changing, the buildings are the same. "Nobody has built any new buildings on Clay Street," Albright said. "Instead, old buildings are being revised. Vacant buildings are no longer vacant."

One of the newer owners on Clay Street is Sandra Lunsford of Brick Alley Antiques. Brick Alley has only been open for a year, but Lunsford has already seen changes. More than 20 businesses have updated or changed their location to downtown," she said.

As a first year business owner in Mebane, Lunsford is pleased with the folks that come from Alamance and the surrounding counties. Mebane is becoming popular by the different types of marketing to get people from all locations.

"People are rediscovering downtown Mebane," Lunsford said. "They come because of the shopping guides or word of mouth."

Lacy Bennett is the president of Destination Downtown, a group of downtown businesses that lends support to each other. "Downtown Mebane is a tight knit community," Bennett said. "We help each other. My customers become their customers and their customers become my customers."

The businesses don't see each other as competition, but rather as a cooperative effort. "The business community is working together," Lunsford said. "When business comes downtown, it's good for all of us."

Businesses owners aren't the only ones noticing Clay Street is changing. Mebane resident and Elon University student Virginia Zint also sees how Clay Street is evolving.

"I moved to Mebane 10 years ago, and since then Clay Street has changed drastically," Zint said. "Most of the changes are the stores that come and go, but the big changes are those that are done by Destination Downtown."

"I have friends that go straight to downtown Mebane when they come back from school," she said, referring to the district's restaurants and coffee shops. "A taste of hometown, I guess."

And that is exactly what Clay Street businesses hope to achieve. Bennett wants Downtown Mebane to become a place more people come to in search of a small town with big possibilities. She sees that as the foot traffic grows tremendously and more people come to Mebane everyday.

"Downtown is becoming a place to go," Bennett said. "People stroll down the streets, walk their dogs, window shop. It's a nice atmosphere."